Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

James S. Herndon

Abstract

Following the terror attacks on the United States, an increasing number of veterans are returning to civilian life after having experienced service in active combat zones. As a result, many of these veterans are returning from their military service suffering from serious mental health issues and other injuries that include posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and major depression. Since the early 1990s, several specialized therapeutic courts have been developed as part of an effort to address a specific population within the state criminal justice systems. One of these recent court systems is the Veterans Treatment Court (VTC), created first in Buffalo, NY, to mitigate criminal sentences by considering the experiences the defendant brought to the court that were influenced by the effects of military service. This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach and employed a descriptive survey to collect the underlying data. The data collected support a positive response to the research question that the creation of a specific veterans’ culture is a motivating factor in an individual successfully completing a VTC program in the state of Florida. This research may influence positive social change through identifying that such treatment support given through a Florida VTC program is provided in a unique environment tailored to the cultural understanding of the veterans and is aimed at a specialized population, the military veteran. The findings of this study provide a greater understanding of how and why Florida VTC programs are implemented, and this knowledge can be disseminated and replicated for future use in other VTCs to minimize recidivism among this target population and reduce incarceration costs for the various state and local criminal justice systems.

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